


Four Christmases

by TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (2011)
Genre: Christmas, Darcy is Loki's Daughter, Family, Gen, Growing Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-08
Updated: 2014-12-08
Packaged: 2018-02-28 15:09:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2737193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel/pseuds/TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Twelve year old Darcy Lewis doesn't believe in a lot of things. Santa Claus is one of them. She might believe in the strange green-eyed man who claims to be her father, though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> So, when I was looking for Christmassy prompts, missingnolovefic suggested Darcy waiting up for Santa? Which sounded cute, but I couldn't really think of anything to write for that. And then I thought, what if someone _did_ turn up in Darcy's house on Christmas Eve, but someone other than Santa? Hence this fic.

**Four Christmases**

**The First Christmas**

Most Christmases, Darcy spent the holiday with her Mom and her grandparents at her grandparents’ house, but this year Stephen had taken Darcy’s Mom on a special Christmas getaway, which meant that Darcy was staying alone with her grandparents this year.

Darcy suspected that Stephen intended to propose, and wasn’t sure how she felt about this. On the one hand, Stephen was the least mould-like boyfriend her Mom had ever had; on the other, if they got married, it meant that there would be a _man_ in the house, right when Darcy was at what her Aunt Veronica called ‘a delicate age.’ Darcy had lived all her life without a dad – her mother’s string of less-than-successful boyfriends hardly counted – and wasn’t sure which would be worse, Stephen trying to act like a father figure, or not bothering to even try.

Anyway, it was Christmas Eve, and Darcy was sleeping in one of the beds in the spare bedroom, all alone, pretending to be asleep. Under the covers, however, she was actually listening to M2M’s _Shades of Purple_ on her Discman. If her Mom had been there, she would have heard the whirr of the CD player and made Darcy turn it off, but Darcy’s grandparents were a room away, and didn’t hear the tell-tale sound, leaving Darcy to listen to her music in peace.

Eventually the last track of the album finished playing, and with a sigh, Darcy pushed away the blankets, taking off her headphones and dropping the Discman onto the beside table. She snuggled back down into the blankets, still wide-awake, wishing that her grandparents didn’t go to bed so _early._

Darcy stared into the darkness in the direction of her ceiling, too awake and too excited for tomorrow morning to sleep. She didn’t believe in Santa, obviously, but she knew there were going to be presents anyway, and she kept wondering what stuff was waiting for her under the Christmas tree. Trying to get comfortable enough to drift off, Darcy turned onto her side, but that didn’t help. Sighing, Darcy turned onto her back again.

Suddenly, in the relative quiet, Darcy thought she heard a sound, past the quiet drone of her grandfather’s snoring. Darcy pricked her ears up, and listened. There it was again – the sound of the front door creaking downstairs.

Darcy seriously considered waking her grandparents up and telling them that she thought someone might have just broken into the house, but her grandparents got grumpy when she woke them up, and if she was wrong, she’d just get herself into trouble. So instead, Darcy swung her legs out of bed, feeling around for the baseball bat her cousin had accidentally left behind last time she’d stayed, and left her bedroom silently, baseball bat gripped tightly in her hands.

Darcy slipped noiselessly through the house and down the stairs. There was a light on in the kitchen, and Darcy peered through the doorway.

There was a man at the kitchen bench, making two mugs of hot cocoa.

Darcy stared. The man was tall and thin, with longish slicked-back black hair, and an interesting sort of face. He was wearing a suit, which would have been pretty normal for a grown-up except that the suit was _green_ , rather than a sober black or brown like Darcy was used to.

“Feel free to join me,” said the man without looking up, and Darcy jumped. He spoke in a low, quiet tone, and his voice sounded pleasant. “Will you have marshmallows in your cocoa?”

“If you take one step near me, I’ll scream,” Darcy threatened, raising the baseball bat defensively.

The man looked up, and Darcy found herself meeting green eyes.

“Keep your voice down, you’ll wake your grandparents,” said the stranger, unperturbed by the threat. “And I very much doubt that they would wish to see me.”

“Who _are_ you?” Darcy asked.

“My name is Loki,” said the stranger with a smile, “and I am your father. Do you want marshmallows, or not?”

“ _What?_ ” Darcy almost dropped the baseball bat. “You’re–”

“Your mysteriously absent father, yes,” said the man who called himself Loki. “I am sorry about not being more involved, but to be fair, your mother didn’t actually want me to know you.”

“So why are you here?” Darcy asked warily. Loki shrugged, and smiled again.

“Frankly? I was bored,” he said, “and it occurred to me that any offspring of mine must surely be interesting. If you want marshmallows, you can add them yourself, I refuse to ask a third time.”

“I like marshmallows,” said Darcy, curiosity creeping in. “Are you _really_ my Dad?”

“Really and truly,” Loki assured her. “Here, have a hot cocoa. I’m going to sit down. You should join me.”

As Darcy watched, Loki collected one of the mugs of hot cocoa – the one with marshmallows bobbing around, already beginning to melt – and took a seat at the kitchen table.

Darcy didn’t move.

“You expect me to take hot cocoa from you?” she said skeptically. “Uh, hello, I’m not going to take food from a _complete stranger_.”

“I’m not a complete stranger, I’m your father,” said Loki. “Does that help?”

“The father I _don’t even know_ ,” Darcy insisted. “I’m not drinking it.”

Loki shrugged, and sipped at his own hot cocoa.

“Suit yourself,” he said, as though he couldn’t care less.

Slowly, Darcy lowered her baseball bat, and stepped into the kitchen, keeping a careful distance between her and Loki.

“Why didn’t Mom want me to know you?” Darcy asked. She could smell the hot cocoa. It smelled _good_.

“Well, she didn’t know me particularly well herself,” Loki explained, still sipping elegantly at his hot cocoa. “We’d only been dating for a short period of time. I suppose she felt that she couldn’t be certain that I would be a good parental influence.”

“Good call, or bad call?” Darcy asked.

Loki thought about it. His mouth quirked in a faint smirk, although his eyes were rueful.

“Not entirely a bad call, I suppose,” he said, and fixed Darcy with a curious look.

“Tell me, when you heard me downstairs, why did you choose to come down alone instead of waking your grandparents? Facing an intruder alone is hardly a clever move.”

“Because if I was wrong, I’d get in trouble,” Darcy snapped, bristling at being called stupid. “And I get in more than enough trouble as it is.”

“So do I,” said Loki, smiling with a lot of teeth. “It’s nice to know that we have something in common.”

“Oh yeah?” Darcy asked. “Who do you get in trouble with? The cops?”

Loki sent her a mock-insulted look.

“Oh, you think little of me, clearly,” he said. “No, actually. My father.”

“But you’re an adult!” Darcy protested. “You can’t get in trouble with your parents when you’re all grown-up!”

“I used to think that too,” Loki agreed. “Unfortunately, parents do not stop disapproving of your actions just because you happen to have reached adulthood.”

Darcy considered this.

“That sucks,” she declared. The hot cocoa still smelled good, and Darcy sidled towards it, taking a surreptitious sniff. It smelled just like normal cocoa, and after all, she’d seen Loki making it, so he probably hadn’t added anything weird to it. She picked it up, and sipped cautiously. “Do you get in trouble a lot?”

Loki looked disgruntled.

“Fairly often,” he said. His eyes suddenly lit with mischief. “I last got in trouble for tripping my brother so that he fell in a river.”

Darcy laughed. A second later she clapped her free hand over her mouth, and listened for any noise from upstairs. There was nothing. She relaxed.

“He must have been pretty mad,” she said, grinning.

“Oh, he was,” said Loki, smiling evilly at the memory. “But all his friends found it just as funny as I did, save for Lady Sif.”

“Is your brother annoying?” Darcy asked.

Some of Darcy’s friends had brothers, and they always went on about how annoying their brothers were.

“Extremely,” said Loki, raising his eyes to the ceiling. “Perfect Thor, good at everything, and with such an inflated head that sooner or later he’s going to float away.”

Darcy giggled, and took a seat at the table, sitting opposite Loki.

“He sounds like a pain,” she said. “I’m glad I don’t have any brothers.”

“You are wise,” said Loki, and Darcy giggled again.

“Would you like to see a trick?” Loki asked, and Darcy went still, feeling a little wary again.

“Like what?” she asked.

“Like this,” said Loki, and a moment later there was a fox where he had been sitting.

Darcy choked back a shriek of surprise, feeling her eyes go huge.

“L-Loki?” she said faintly.

The next moment, Loki was himself again, looking smug.

“How the _heck_ did you do that?” Darcy asked wonderingly.

Loki smiled wide.

“Magic,” he said simply. Darcy wanted to contradict him, to scoff and say _yeah right,_ but after what she’d seen, she couldn’t help but believe him.

“Oh my God, does that mean Santa is real too?” she blurted, and then felt like an idiot when Loki laughed.

“I’m afraid not,” he said, grinned. “The gods of Norse mythology are completely real, however. Including me.”

“You’re a _god?_ ” Darcy asked incredulously.

“A trickster god,” Loki agreed. “You should read the stories. _Not_ the one about the horse,” he added hastily, as though a thought had just occurred to him. “That one’s a base and utter lie.”

Darcy resolved to track down the horse story at the first opportunity, whatever it was.

“So let me get this straight,” she said slowly. “You’re my Dad, you can do magic, and you’re a _god_.”

“Yes,” said Loki. He looked like he was enjoying himself.

“Can you teach _me_ to do magic?” Darcy asked eagerly.

Loki gave her a long look.

“Quite possibly,” he conceded. “It would take time, however, and I would have to sneak away from Asgard to do so. But on the other hand,” he smiled suddenly, “it’s bound to be entertaining.”

“What’s Asgard?” Darcy asked.

“The realm I come from,” said Loki. “It is quite a distance away from Earth, I’m afraid. I’d take you there, but Father would likely be very upset.”

“How upset?” Darcy asked.

“Upset enough to banish me, no doubt,” said Loki. “He wouldn’t be very pleased with you, either.”

“Oh.” Regretfully, Darcy abandoned thoughts of visiting the realm of the gods. “Would your mom be mad, too?”

A fond smile curved Loki’s lips.

“I expect that she would be delighted,” he mused. “But sooner or later Father would find out the truth, if I told her. Best to keep you a secret, for now.”

“Huh,” said Darcy, but was cut off by a yawn. When she finished yawning, she saw that Loki was frowning at her.

“You’re tired,” he noted.

“No I’m not,” Darcy said stubbornly. “I’m fine.” She yawned again.

“You should go back to bed,” said Loki.

“And miss out on this awesome bonding session?” Darcy demanded. “No way! I just met you! I’m not leaving already!”

Loki glanced at the clock. It was just after midnight.

“Then I shall leave,” he said. “Here.” He pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it towards Darcy, who caught it on instinct. “Merry Christmas. I’d say not to open it until tomorrow, but I suspect that would be an exercise in futility, yes?”

“Yeah,” Darcy said with a grin, examining the small wrapped object with interest. “What is it?”

Loki raised his eyebrows.

“Open it and find out,” he said, and smiling like the Cheshire Cat, he vanished.

“Loki?” Darcy asked, looking around. The front door creaked open, and Darcy ran for the front door, just in time to see the latch close.

The house was silent.

Darcy trudged back to the kitchen, to find that the two mugs she and Loki had used were gone, instead of sitting on the kitchen table.

Looking back down at her present – the only thing her Dad had ever given her – Darcy unwrapped it carefully. It turned out to be a necklace on a sturdy silver chain, with a large silver pendant of a snake hanging from it. Weird markings were imprinted on the snake, but Darcy had no idea what they might mean.

She yawned again, feeling suddenly sleepy. Turning off the kitchen light and picking up the baseball bat, she headed back upstairs to bed.

She put the necklace on the bedside table next to the Discman, and climbed back into bed.

She was asleep almost immediately.


	2. The Second Christmas

**The Second Christmas**

Next Christmas was different.

Instead of staying with Darcy’s grandparents the way they always did, this year Darcy and her Mom were staying with Stephen’s family.

Ugh. _Stephen_.

Okay, so Stephen was actually a pretty nice guy, but still, _ugh_. That didn’t mean that Darcy had to like the fact that Stephen was her stepfather. And she definitely didn’t have to like the fact that he was the reason that instead of having a quiet, traditional Christmas, Darcy was stuck in a house with a bunch of noisy strangers, including a bunch of kids who kept trying to shoot Darcy with fake arrows every time they saw her.

As soon as she could slip away unnoticed, Darcy went outside, into the snow. It was cold outside, but quiet and peaceful, a nice change from inside.

“Hello, Darcy.”

Darcy gasped and turned around, to see Loki standing behind her, smiling.

“You!” she accused. She’d been finding letters from him in her backpack all year, but she hadn’t once seen him face to face. “What are you, the freaking Secret Letter Fairy? I should totally throw a snowball at you.”

“Ah, but then I would be obliged to thrust snow down the back of your shirt in retaliation,” said Loki, smiling the smile with the teeth, and looking as though the idea amused him.

Darcy took a step backwards, because she was pretty sure he _would_.

“Okay, no snowballs,” she agreed quickly. “This is a snowball free zone, so no stuffing snow down the back of my shirt, mister.”

“Agreed,” said Loki. “How has your Christmas been?”

Darcy immediately grimaced.

“Ugh, _awful_ ,” she groused. “We’re having Christmas with _Stephen’s_ family, and there’s like a bajillion of them and the kids are all brats and everyone keeps telling me ‘how unusual’ my name is, like I didn’t already know. Plus someone’s uncle called me Fitzwilliam, because I guess that’s like the height of wit in his world.”

Loki looked amused at her rant, but also sympathetic, as though he perfectly understood the trial Darcy was going through. It soothed Darcy a little.

“Anyway, enough about me,” she said. “How’s life in the golden city?”

This time it was Loki’s turn to make a face.

“The same as ever,” he replied. Most of Loki’s letters had talked about life in Asgard: about Thor, Loki’s eternal pain-in-the-butt big brother, about Odin, king of Asgard and Loki’s dad, and about Frigga, who seemed to be the only one Loki was actually close to. Sometimes Loki talked about other people, like the Warriors Three and Lady Sif, or Heimdall the gatekeeper, but most of it was complaints, observations, and fond reminiscing about his family. Darcy had pored over the letters, soaking in information about the relatives she might never meet. She’d looked most of them up in the library, reading about the Norse gods. Loki and Thor and Odin and Frigga were all mentioned in the mythology books, as were Heimdall and Lady Sif, but there was nothing about the Warriors Three anywhere.

It was kind of cool to think that Darcy’s family on her Dad’s side were all godly royalty, even if she wasn’t a god or royalty herself.

“That bad, huh?” Darcy asked knowingly. Loki shrugged, still making the face.

“Well, thanks for sneaking away to visit,” said Darcy. “I know it could get you in big trouble.”

“Since when has the prospect of trouble ever stopped me?” said Loki, with a genuine smile.

Darcy grinned.

“I know, right? Everything fun is trouble.”

A year ago, she’d done her best to avoid trouble, but things had changed a lot in the last year. Darcy was Trouble with a capital T, and proud of it.

Loki sent Darcy a sideways glance.

“I take it you’ve embraced that truth since I last saw you,” he said.

“Hell yeah,” said Darcy, who wasn’t supposed to use that kind of language, but didn’t think Loki would care. The quirk of his mouth confirmed it. “The problem with being the good kid is that everyone expects you to be perfect all the time. They’re all like, _I expected better of you_ every time you mess up or, I don’t know, show an emotion they don’t like. But if you’re in trouble all the time, everyone’s just pleasantly surprised when you don’t do something bad, for once.” Darcy shrugged.

“Hmm.” Loki watched Darcy. “You seem angrier this year.”

Darcy considered that, and decided that Loki wasn’t wrong.

“Well, this year I have a stepfather,” she said flatly, “and a little brother or sister on the way. Isn’t that _wizard?_ ” She kicked at the snow.

“Ah,” said Loki. “I see.” And Darcy knew that he did.

“I don’t _want_ a brother or sister,” Darcy complained bitterly, “especially not a baby that’s going to cry all night and sick up and take even more of Mom’s attention than Stephen already does! But no one cares what I think. You know, Mom actually expected me to be _happy_ , like I wanted a sibling. It’s like she’s never met me. I’m the big disappointment, now.” Darcy crossed her arms, still furious about the fact that her Mom was turning Darcy’s world upside down, and blaming her for not being excited about it. “Like, excuse me for not being delighted that you totally up-ended my life, Mom.”

“I am sorry to hear that the situation is so unsatisfactory for you,” said Loki. “Are things so very different from how they were before?”

“You bet,” said Darcy. “It was always just me and Mom, before. Now everything’s all about Stephen, and she never has any time for me, and Stephen keeps telling me what to do all the time. _Clean your room. Don’t leave dirty dishes on the counter. Take your shoes off inside the house,_ ” Darcy mimicked. “And Mum backs him up on like, everything. Seriously, though, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“You are certainly loquacious, considering that this is a topic that you don’t wish to speak about,” Loki remarked, slightly amused. Darcy made a face at him.

“Whatever,” she said dismissively.

“Darcy?” Darcy heard Stephen’s voice coming from the house.

Darcy glanced in that direction to see Stephen standing outside, closing the back door. When she looked back at Loki, he was gone. Well, maybe not actually _gone_ , because who knew with his powers, but invisible at the very least.

“What are you doing out here?” Stephen asked, walking towards her. “Aren’t you cold? You should be inside, where it’s warm.”

“I like it better out here,” said Darcy, without moving. Stephen sighed.

“Darcy, I know that you don’t know anyone, but give them a chance, please.”

“Give _them_ a chance?” Darcy scoffed. “Who, the kids who keep shooting toy arrows at me every time they see me, or the adults who ignore me, or hey, maybe that one guy who called me Fitzwilliam? That was pretty welcoming.” Darcy laid the sarcasm on thick.

“Uncle David is – eccentric,” said Stephen, sounding weary. “Just ignore him, that’s what everyone else does.”

“You don’t get it, do you?” Darcy asked, turning to face him. “I don’t want to get to know anybody, or get used to this. Since you married Mom nothing has been the same, and I’m so sick of it. It’s like I don’t even matter anymore. I’m just the burden who gets in the way all the time.”

“Darcy, is that what you think?” Stephen looked appalled. “Of course you’re not in the way. Look, this has been a big change for everybody, your Mom and I included. But that doesn’t mean it has to be a bad change. I know it’s hard, but you’ll adjust eventually.”

Darcy crossed her arms, and turned away from Stephen.

Stephen sighed again.

“Hey,” he said, laying a hand on Darcy’s shoulder. “Your Mom loves you, you know, and I think you’re a pretty great kid. Can’t you at least make an effort? We’re trying, you know.”

“Don’t care,” Darcy mumbled. There was a crow watching her and Stephen with a particularly intelligent look in its eyes, and Darcy suspected that it was actually Loki.

Stephen’s hand dropped off her shoulder.

“Well, if you change your mind, everyone’s inside waiting,” he said, his voice tired. “We’re about to do presents, if you do feel like coming back in.”

“I think I’ll stay out here,” said Darcy.

“Fine,” said Stephen. “I can’t make you do anything. But just think about coming back inside, Darcy.”

Stephen walked back towards the house. Loki waited until the back door was shut before he turned back into himself.

“I _knew_ that was you,” said Darcy. Loki just gave her a thoughtful look.

“Stephen seems nice,” he said. “Is that why you don’t like him?”

“He tries too hard,” said Darcy. “It makes it hard to actually hate him. It’s annoying.”

“At least he makes an effort, which is more than my family do,” Loki observed.

Darcy let out an irritated huff.

“You think I should be nicer or something, don’t you?”

“I think that you should be yourself,” Loki corrected. “But perhaps you could think about making an effort, just for today. It is Christmas, after all.” He watched Darcy carefully.

“I wish I was at my grandparents,” Darcy said. “That would be so much better than this.”

“Unfortunately, that is not the case,” said Loki, and his tone was sympathetic, even if his words weren’t. “You must simply make the best of things.”

“Is that your way of telling me to man up?” Darcy asked, with a slight grin.

“Perhaps,” said Loki. “There must be some way to turn the situation to your advantage.”

Darcy blinked, and looked at him assessingly.

“You’re talking about being manipulative,” she said, because she wasn’t stupid.

Loki grinned.

“Perhaps,” he said again, still grinning.

“It must be cool, being a Trickster god,” said Darcy. “I wish I was magic.”

Loki’s smile was smug and knowing.

“What?” Darcy asked. “Why are you smirking at me like that? What?”

“I left your Christmas gift under your bed at home,” said Loki. “I had a scribe transcribe some of the scrolls on magic from the palace archives into English. There are some basic exercises that should allow you to practice magic at a beginner’s level, as well as the theory necessary to understand what you are doing.”

“Oh my God!” Darcy shrieked. “You mean it?!”

“Of course,” said Loki. “And might I suggest that you vacuum under your bed, once in a while? It was tremendously dusty.”

“Oh my God, thank you!” Before Darcy thought through what she was doing, she lunged forwards and gave Loki a hug. He was more muscular than he looked, but just as thin.

Darcy realised what she was doing, and was about to let go self-consciously, but Loki’s arms settled around her awkwardly, as though he wasn’t quite sure what he was doing. They stood there for a few seconds, before Loki patted Darcy on the back and let her go.

Darcy took that as her cue to step back. Loki’s expression was weird, and a little unreadable – discomfort and pleasure and something else Darcy couldn’t interpret.

“I will totally rock this magic stuff, just you wait,” Darcy vowed.

“I am sure you will,” said Loki, and his smile was sincere and warm. “Merry Christmas, Darcy. I should get back to Asgard before my absence is questioned.”

“Aww,” Darcy complained, but didn’t push. “Well, if you have to, I guess. Merry Christmas to you, too, Dad.”

The last thing she saw of Loki was that funny uncomfortably-pleased look again, before he vanished.

Darcy stayed outside for another few minutes, but there really wasn’t any reason to stay, and to be honest, she was getting pretty cold by now. So, with an irritated sigh, she braced herself, and headed back in to the house.


	3. The Third Christmas

**The Third Christmas**

It was Christmas Day, and things were going pretty well.

Darcy was in her room, _Be not Nobody_ playing through her CD player speakers as she lay on her bed, reading one of her new Christmas presents. Downstairs her Mom and Stephen were cooking Christmas lunch, while Serafina crawled around in her playpen in the living room.

Darcy shut her book as she reached the end of the chapter, marking the page with a bookmark. She’d been reading for like an hour now, and felt the need to stretch her legs. Glancing at the clock, Darcy guessed that it would probably be a little while longer before lunch.

Darcy left her room and clattered down the stairs, emerging into the living room where Serafina greeted her with a happy gurgle. Darcy had been all set to hate Serafina when she arrived, but the baby was so cute and friendly that Darcy couldn’t help but adore her.

“Hey, baby girl, what’s up?” Darcy greeted her little sister cheerfully, and Serafina waved her arms around energetically, making more happy baby noises. Darcy scooped Serafina out of the playpen and into her arms, where Serafina immediately started patting Darcy’s face with awkward coordination.

“Yeah, I’m glad to see you, too,” Darcy told her, smiling and making faces. Serafina laughed delightedly. “Come on, baby-boo, let’s go upstairs and hang out in my room.”

Carrying Serafina upstairs, Darcy put the baby down on the carpet of her bedroom, watching her carefully to make sure she didn’t grab anything she shouldn’t. Serafina just lay on her stomach and waved her arms and legs like she found the change of scenery awesome.

There was a tapping noise, and Darcy pulled aside her curtains to see a crow outside the window, tapping at the glass with its beak. Darcy grinned, because she’d seen the crow a couple of times since Christmas, and knew exactly who it really was.

She opened the window, shivering at the blast of icy air, and the crow hopped forward, jumping down onto the floor as Darcy shut the windows and drew the curtains again.

Serafina let out an interested coo. Loki transformed back into his usual form, and Serafina smacked her hands against the carpet, entranced by this trick.

Loki looked down at Serafina.

“So this is your mother’s latest offspring,” he remarked, eyes lingering on the decorative red-and-green headband around the baby’s head.

“Yup! This is Serafina, my little sister,” said Darcy cheerfully, sitting on the floor next to Serafina and sitting the baby up. “Aren’t you, bubby?”

Serafina made a happy sound, and turned to look up at Loki in fascination.

“Hardly the calamity she seemed a year ago, I see,” he said, watching Serafina curiously.

“Yeah, I was really emo last year,” Darcy agreed. “But things have been better since Serafina was born. Right, baby-boo?”

Serafina just stared unblinkingly at Loki, with a gummy smile.

“She likes you,” Darcy informed him, smirking.

Loki looked like he wasn’t sure how to react.

“Baby-boo?” he repeated.

“Shut up, it’s how people talk to babies,” Darcy said, poking his arm with a finger. “Go on, you try it, it’s not like she’s going to bite. I mean, she doesn’t even have teeth yet.”

“Hello, baby-boo,” Loki said, in the driest tone possible. Darcy had to lean back against the bed, she was laughing so hard. Serafina was laughing too, waving her hands around.

Loki just watched Darcy dryly until her laughter subsided.

“So, did you bring me a present this year?” Darcy asked.

Loki raised an eyebrow, looking both disdainful and amused at the same time.

“I see that your mother has failed to instill good manners in you,” he said. Darcy rolled her eyes.

“What? It’s just you,” she said, and Loki looked half-entertained, half-insulted by the comment. “I mean, come on, you’re my _Dad_.”

“Were I ever to behave so informally with Odin, I cannot imagine how I would be taken to task,” said Loki, and Darcy thought that maybe he meant it as a reprimand, but all Darcy got out of it was yet more sad commentary on her Dad’s relationship with his own father.

“Yeah, but that’s because you and your father have issues,” said Darcy, and Loki coughed, looking torn between startlement and laughter.

“You are far franker than I was at your age,” he said, instead of commenting on Darcy’s remark.

“You sound old when you say things like that,” Darcy informed him, and this time Loki did laugh.

“Impertinent child,” he said, but he sounded fond rather than reproving. Darcy grinned unabashedly at him.

“Oh, hey,” she suddenly remembered, scrambling to her feet, and walking to her dresser. “This is my school picture. I got an extra copy so you could have one.”

Darcy had saved up her pocket money to buy her own copy of her photo from school picture day. She’d been practicing smiling like Loki in the mirror for months, showing all her teeth, until it felt perfectly natural. Darcy’s friend Jodi said it was a creepy smile, but Darcy didn’t care. It was a badass smile, okay, and she liked the way it made her look more like her Dad.

Loki took the offered photo in its cheap plastic frame, and stared down at it with a blank face which Darcy guessed was hiding his emotions.

“Thank you,” he said finally. “I shall keep it somewhere safe, where hopefully no one will find it.”

Darcy beamed, and Loki smiled carefully back.

“Anyway,” said Darcy, “you never answered my question about presents.”

“Brat,” said Loki, but opened his jacket, and pulled out a large scroll from the inside pocket, which explained the bulge in his jacket. “Here.”

“Ooh!” Darcy exclaimed, taking it with a big smile, and unscrolled the top of the scroll. It was written in the by-now familiar archaic, decorative script, with flourishes and stuff. “Thanks!”

Darcy went to her wardrobe and stuck the scroll at the back of the small shelf at the top of the wardrobe, where it would be safe and go unseen if her Mom opened her wardrobe for some reason. She turned back and gave Loki a quick hug – awkward as it always was, with Loki – before scooping Serafina up off the floor before she could try to climb Darcy’s bedside table.

“ _No_ ,” Darcy scolded, and put her down in the middle of the carpet. “No climbing, muppet.”

Serafina looked displeased.

“Do all mortal families come up with such ridiculous nicknames for young children?” Loki wondered. “I cannot, in my wildest imagination, imagine Mother or Father ever calling myself or Thor muppet or baby-boo.”

“That’s kind of sad,” Darcy told him.

“My parents possess the dignity natural to one of their station,” said Loki, with a stuck-up look.

“Ugh,” said Darcy.

Loki frowned. He looked a little insulted.

“Royalty or not, I’m pretty sure your parents need to lighten up a bit,” said Darcy. “And like, ground your brother, or something, I swear.”

“I believe that Mother would gladly teach Thor some humility,” said Loki. “Sadly, Father is a different matter. But let us talk of something other than Thor, if you don’t mind.”

Just then there was a knock at the door.

Loki instantly turned invisible, for a given value of invisible: now that Darcy knew a little about magic, when she looked she was able to see a sort of outline of where Loki was standing.

“Darcy?” said her Mom, opening the door. Serafina let out a sound of glee and clapped her hands together.

“Hey Mom,” Darcy greeted her, with a grin. “What’s up?”

“Lunch is almost ready,” her Mom said, smiling fondly at the sight of both her daughters together. “Are you and Serafina having fun?”

“I don’t know,” said Darcy, turning to look at Serafina. “What do you think, tiny tot?”

Serafina smacked her hands against the carpet and gurgled.

“I think that’s a yes,” Darcy said with a smile.

“Come here, baby,” said Darcy’s Mom, picking Serafina up. The baby promptly began gumming at her shirt. “Darcy, are you ready for lunch?”

“Nearly,” said Darcy. “Can I just have five more minutes to finish reading the current chapter of my book?”

“Five minutes, and then you’re downstairs with the rest of us,” her Mom agreed.

“Deal,” said Darcy, and her Mom left the room with Serafina, shutting the door behind her. Darcy sat down on her bed and waited.

Loki blinked back into visibility again.

“I see that your mother is still lovely,” he said, sounding faintly wistful.

“Oh, _ewww_ ,” said Darcy, making a face. “Don’t be gross, Dad.”

“I was merely complimenting your mother’s looks,” said Loki. An evil grin crossed his face. “Although if you wish, I can go into great detail about –”

_“Nooooooo!_ ” Darcy flung herself down on the bed and covered her head with her pillow. Even through the pillow, she could hear her father’s chuckle. “You are evil. _Evil_.”

“Such dramatics,” said Loki, when she uncovered her head. “Your conception was not without sex being involved, you realise –”

“ _Ewww!_ ” Darcy said again, and threw her pillow at Loki. He caught it, and promptly bopped her on the top of her head with it. “Hey!” Darcy exclaimed. “Oh my God, you are the worst.”

“Hardly,” said Loki. “You are merely in denial. It is most entertaining.”

“For you, maybe,” Darcy grumbled, but sat up. Loki threw her pillow back to her, and Darcy caught it easily.

“You look to have good coordination,” Loki remarked. “Have you ever thought of learning to throw knives?”

“Are you kidding me?” Darcy asked. “Mom would totally kill me. Besides, I’m a girl.”

“What of it?” Loki asked. “My mother is the best knife thrower I know. It is a perfectly feminine skill.”

“Maybe on Asgard,” said Darcy, a little wistfully. “Besides, what would I practice with?”

Loki frowned in thought, before bending down and pulling up his trouser leg, and doing something with his leg. When he straightened, he was holding a knife in a sheath.

“Here,” he said. “This is an excellent dagger for throwing. The balance is perfect. The next time I visit Earth, I will teach you how to throw it.”

“Really?” Darcy brightened. “Awesome, dude!”

“Do not call me dude,” Loki ordered, but gave her the sheath with the dagger in it. “And make sure your mother doesn’t find this.”

“No problemo,” said Darcy, opening her wardrobe again, and putting the sheathed dagger in an empty shoebox. “Is it hard, throwing knives?”

“It takes a degree of skill which takes time to develop,” said Loki. “But I am confident that you will learn.”

“Thanks, Dad,” said Darcy, still touched and excited by the idea. “When will you be on Earth again?”

“I am unsure,” said Loki. “I was almost caught leaving the palace. And on that note, I should probably go, before someone comes looking for either of us.”

“Okay,” Darcy said, a little disappointedly. “See you next time.”

She watched as Loki opened the curtains and the window, changing shape into a crow again and taking flight. Darcy shut the window and curtains again, before heading downstairs to spend Christmas with the rest of her family, feeling happy, and looking forward to Loki’s next visit.


	4. Puente Antiguo

**Puente Antiguo**

But Loki’s next visit never came. A year passed, and there were no letters, no sign of Loki at all, not even on Christmas Day. Darcy felt hurt and afraid, wondering if Loki had finally been caught sneaking out of Asgard to visit Earth. She wondered if anyone would come after her, but no one ever did, and what had happened to Loki remained a mystery.

Darcy kept making up stories in her head about what might have happened, and why Loki wasn’t sending letters or visiting anymore, but when two years had passed, she finally had to accept that he was probably gone from her life.

It hurt, a lot, but Darcy wasn’t the type to wallow. Instead, she practiced with the knife Loki had given her, teaching herself to throw it, until Darcy could hit a painted target on a tree from thirty feet away.

Stephen had caught her at it early on, but promised not to tell her Mom as long as Darcy was careful about it, and never threw knives when Serafina was around. But eventually her Mom found out.

“Where did you even _get_ a dagger from?” her Mom demanded in exasperation.

Darcy folded her arms.

“My Dad gave it to me,” she said flatly.

Her Mom looked more gobsmacked than Darcy had ever seen her look in her life. Even Stephen looked surprised.

“W-what?” Darcy’s Mom finally managed. “But you’ve never met your Dad.”

“Loki, right?” Darcy asked. “Tall, black haired, green eyed, likes to dress in green?”

“My God.” Darcy’s Mom reached for the nearest chair, and sat down. “You’ve been seeing him?”

“He used to visit sometimes,” said Darcy. “But then he stopped. I think his family might have realised he was travelling here all the time, and he didn’t want them to know about me in case they kicked him out of the family.”

Darcy blinked hard, because all of a sudden her eyes were full of tears.

“Oh, baby,” said her Mom, opening her arms. “Come here.” She stood up, and Darcy walked over, and was firmly hugged.

“He was a good Dad,” Darcy managed to say thickly. “I just wish he hadn’t stopped.”

* * *

The years passed, and Loki became an afterthought, someone she thought of occasionally, but not that often. Darcy grew up, and graduated, and tried a variety of different jobs before she decided to go to college.

Interning with an astrophysicist was an unusual choice for a poli-sci major, but Darcy didn’t care. Sure, Jane’s science sounded kind of crazy, and her research was in the middle of nowhere, but the work was interesting and not too difficult, and Jane herself was nice.

The last thing Darcy expected was for Thor Odinsson to drop from the sky and ruin everything.

Darcy couldn’t believe it when the weird guy in the desert turned out to be her _uncle_. First of all, he was really cut, which was a creepy thing to say about your own uncle, but it was true. Secondly, he was raving and out of it, and Darcy had no idea what had happened to him, or why he was on Earth, but it probably wasn’t good.

Darcy felt a little guilty about leaving Thor at the hospital, considering that he was family, but in the end it didn’t matter: Darcy only had to point out the man-shaped image in the middle of the storm, and Jane was adamant about collecting Thor from the hospital.

Which was how they all ended up in the diner for breakfast: Jane, Erik, and Darcy, as well as Thor.

“So if you’re Thor, that means you’re related to Loki, right?” Darcy asked, as Erik scoffed in the background.

“Indeed,” said Thor. “Loki is my brother.”

Thor had proven to be arrogant and loud, like Loki had always said, but he was also good-natured and strangely charming, which were traits that Loki had never mentioned. Darcy had expected someone entirely obnoxious, but while Thor was a _little_ obnoxious, sure, he didn’t seem to be the walking ego that Loki had always described.

“Has he ever been to Earth?” Darcy asked, as casually as she knew how. She saw Jane send her a look of suspicion, in recognition of that casual tone, but Jane didn’t say anything, just waited for Thor to respond.

“He has,” said Thor. “We discovered some years ago that he had made a habit of visiting Midgard in secret, although he refused to say to what end. Father forbade him from doing so again, and ordered Heimdall never to transport Loki to Earth again without Father’s direct permission. Loki sulked for some time over the whole affair.”

Darcy realised that her fingernails were digging into her palms.

“Well, I think your father was a jerk,” she said loudly.

“Watch your words,” Thor said warningly. “My father is a great and wise king–”

“But a terrible father,” Darcy spat, getting up from the table. “You know what, I’m going back to the lab. Have fun, guys.”

“Darcy!” Jane called out, but Darcy was already storming out of the diner.

So. All this time she’d spent wondering why Loki didn’t write or visit anymore, and it was because Odin had decided to ban Loki from Earth. It wasn’t fair. Loki hadn’t been perfect, but he was her _Dad,_ and she had a right to have him in her life without her granddad interfering. And Loki wouldn’t even have been able to protest being banned from Earth, because then he’d have to explain _why_ he was on Earth in the first place, which could get him banished, and probably Darcy punished somehow, too. Darcy wasn’t sure how somewhere as archaic as Asgard treated bastard mortal children, but it probably wasn’t good.

She walked slowly back to the lab, wondering sadly if she’d ever see her Dad again.

* * *

The discovery that Loki had lied to Thor about Odin’s death wasn’t that much of a surprise, but even so, Darcy couldn’t believe that Loki had sent some kind of Asgardian death machine after Thor.

What had gone so wrong that Loki was trying to kill his brother? Because something _had_ to have gone wrong – she was convinced of that, Darcy thought, as she ran for cover with the others.

“What’s he doing?” Jane suddenly asked, and Darcy and the others turned to watch as Thor – de-powered, _mortal_ Thor – walked up to the Destroyer.

“Brother,” Thor began, as he walked towards it. “For whatever I have done to wrong you, whatever I have done to lead you to do this, I am sorry. But these people have done nothing to you. They are innocents.”

Thor continued to walk towards the Destroyer, and Darcy realised what he intended to do: sacrifice himself.

Darcy couldn’t take it. She sprinted forwards, dodging Erik’s attempt to grab her, ran past a surprised Thor, and threw herself in the Destroyer’s path. She had no doubt that Loki was tracking the Destroyer’s progress, somehow. She needed to stop this before anyone got hurt.

“Darcy, no!” Thor bellowed, but Darcy paid no attention, storming up to the Destroyer.

“Dad, stop this!” Darcy yelled at the sky. “You can’t just send Destroyers to Earth! You’re going to get people killed!”

The Destroyer looked down at Darcy, and the inside of its ‘head’ lit with orange fire. Darcy threw herself to the side barely in time as a jet of fire shot from the Destroyer, hitting the dirt where she had been standing only a minute ago.

Darcy rolled, and scrambled to her feet, and ran from the Destroyer.

There was a burst of searing heat from just behind her, and Darcy zig-zagged as she ran, dodging the Destroyer’s blasts. Muttering under her breath, she started calling up a shield spell, hoping that it would be enough.

“Darcy!” Jane screamed, from where Erik was holding her back some distance away. Darcy could see Thor running towards her, his eyes widening. Darcy turned, to see the Destroyer looming right above her, glowing with orange light as it looked down at her.

Darcy raised her hands, preparing to use her shield spell, hoping desperately that it would be enough.

There was a beam of bright light overhead that shot down in front of Darcy, and when it cleared away, a tall figure in imposing armour and headgear was standing between Darcy and the oncoming Destroyer.

“Stop!” Loki shouted. “I order you to stop!”

The machine ground to a halt, and stood obediently, the orange light in its

head slowly dying away to nothing. Loki turned on Darcy in a whirl of cape, looking furious and half-crazed, but Darcy beat him to it.

“Oh my God, have you gone crazy?” Darcy shouted. “I know you’ve never gotten along with Thor, but going on a megalomaniacal rampage like some comic-book villain? What the hell’s _wrong_ with you?”

Loki took a staggering step back, his expression anguished and more crazed than ever. Darcy noticed.

“Dad?” she asked in a lower voice, taking a step forward. “What happened?”

“I can’t,” said Loki. His eyes were wild and pained. “I can’t – there’s too much – I need to – Heimdall!” he suddenly shouted, staring at the sky. “Open the Bifrost!”

“Don’t you dare!” Darcy shrieked, leaping forward to grab hold of her father right before the Bifrost activated.

The next thirty seconds were a trippy whirl of colour, like travelling on 

Rainbow Road on Mario Kart. The next moment Darcy felt her feet hit the ground, right as Loki tried to shake her off.

“Dad!” she yelled. “What the hell is going on?”

“There is no time!” Loki said impatiently. “The Jotun will invade the palace at any moment! You should not even be here!”

“And you shouldn’t be bughouse crazy!” Darcy yelled back. “I wouldn’t have had to do anything if you hadn’t decided to invade Earth and try and kill Thor! Now for the last time, tell me what the hell’s going on!”

For a moment Loki stood tall and glaring; then he seemed to crumple in on himself.

“You wish to know what is going on?” he asked, taking a sweeping step forward into her space. It was a deliberately intimidating move, but Darcy stood firm. “I shall tell you what is going on. I intend to prove myself a worthy son by destroying all of Jotunheim!”

Darcy latched onto Loki’s arm again before he could step away.

“You can’t just destroy an entire realm!” she protested. “Why are you acting like this?”

“ _Because I’m Jotun!_ ” Loki bellowed in her face, and then looked horrified and aghast at himself. Darcy caught him as he swayed. He was taller and heavier than her, but she managed to prop him up.

“Dad, what have you done?” she demanded. Loki let out a deranged laugh.

“I’ve tricked them all,” he said darkly. “And when they come – I shall slay them all, beginning with their king.”

“Uh-huh,” said Darcy carefully. “And that seemed like a good plan to you?”

“I shall prove myself a worthy heir of Odin,” said Loki, focusing on her with over-bright eyes. “I shall–”

Right then the big black guy in gold that Darcy had carefully not been looking at brought the hilt of his sword down hard on the back of Loki’s head. Loki went down like a sack of bricks.

“He’s gone totally fruit loops,” Darcy said, looking at the guy. “But if Frost Giants are about to invade, they need to be stopped. I’m guessing you’re Heimdall, right?”

“And you are Darcy Lokasdottir,” said Heimdall. “I have watched you for many years.”

Darcy refrained from commenting on how creepy that was.

“What do we do now?” she asked instead.

“The Queen must be warned and protected,” said Heimdall. “But the gate cannot be left unguarded.”

“So…”

“You have proven yourself to have a just and loyal heart,” said Heimdall, and offered Darcy the sword. “Do not break my trust.”

Darcy felt her eyes widen.

“ _Me_?” she stammered. “But–”

“You are reasonably adept at magic,” said Heimdall. “If all else fails and the Bifrost is attacked, use your abilities to defend it.”

“Um,” said Darcy nervously, taking the sword. “Okay?”

For a second the sword was incredibly heavy; but then it lightened in her hands, until holding it felt quite natural.

“What about Dad?” asked Darcy, looking at where Loki was unconscious on the floor.

“He should remain unconscious for some time,” said Heimdall. “If he wakes, he must not leave. Do you understand?”

“Yeah,” said Darcy, just as Heimdall’s eyes widened slightly.

“I have tarried too long,” he said, and took off at a run.

Darcy was left alone in the large room, holding the sword Heimdall had given her.

She looked down at Loki.

“You owe me one hell of an explanation when you wake up,” she muttered, and stood guard.

* * *

About half an hour later – and Darcy was a weird combination of bored and full of nerves – an imposing-looking older lady in the most majestic dress Darcy had ever seen came sweeping in, followed by guards, plus Heimdall.

Her eyes went first to Loki, still on the floor – although Darcy had rolled him into a slightly more comfortable position – and then to Darcy, who was watching her nervously.

“Darcy Lokasdottir,” said the lady, in a voice full of command, as one of the guards grabbed Loki’s staff, and handed it to her. Darcy was pretty sure she was Loki’s mom.

“Er, hi?” Darcy ventured.

Frigga gave her a kind smile, although her expression was weary and sad.

“It is lovely to meet you, despite the unfortunate circumstances,” she said. “How is your father?”

“Uh, kind of banana balls?” said Darcy. When Frigga looked blank, she said quickly, “I don’t think he’s quite, um, in his right mind? I mean, he usually doesn’t act like this right? And he yelled something about being, uh, Jotun? Which is crazy.”

Frigga looked even more weary and sad than before.

“I see,” she said, and looked down at Loki sadly. “I had worried about him, but I thought…” She sighed. “Clearly, the burden of everything that has happened in the past few days has been too much for him.”

Frigga turned to the guards.

“Prince Loki is to be taken to the healing rooms,” she commanded. “He may not leave under any circumstances until I or the Allfather give him leave. Do you understand?”

“Yes, your majesty,” said one of the guards, bowing, as the some of the other guards picked Loki up. They left the Bifrost room, leaving only two guards with Frigga and Darcy.

Frigga gave Darcy a long look, and Darcy tried not to shift uncomfortably under her stare.

“So you are my granddaughter,” she said. “Loki never spoke a word of this to me.”

“Yeah, he was kind of afraid he’d get in trouble, if people knew?” Darcy offered. “He was scared of being banished or something.”

Frigga looked sad again.

“I am sorry that he felt such a need to keep you a secret,” she said.

There was an awkward silence.

“You must be hungry,” Frigga said at last, with the air of someone seizing on an excuse. “Would you like to dine with me?”

“Uh, I should probably get back to Earth,” said Darcy. “Also, there’s a, um, Destroyer down there? Loki sort of attacked the town I was in, trying to get to Thor.”

Frigga frowned.

“Then that must be dealt with at once.” She turned to Heimdall. “Heimdall, Darcy and I wish to travel to Midgard immediately.”

“My queen–” Heimdall began to protest, but Frigga gave him a look. “Yes, my queen.”

“This way,” said Frigga, taking Darcy’s arm, and leading her to another part of the room. As Darcy watched, a sort of tunnel in space opened up in front of the two of them. Frigga stepped forward, and Darcy had no choice but to step forward as well.

Bifrost travel was just as trippy the second time around. A moment later Darcy was standing in the desert, in front of the destroyer.

“ _Mother!”_ Thor roared, sounding pleased and surprised, from where he was standing nearby.

“Thor,” Frigga gave a him a nod and a smile. The look she gave Sif and the Warriors Three was far sterner. “Sif. Fandral. Hogun. Volstagg. Whose idea was it to commit treason?”

There was a nasty silence. Darcy tried to pull her arm free from Frigga’s, but Frigga held tightly onto her arm without ever looking away from the Warriors Three and Sif.

“Treason, my queen?” Fandral asked carefully.

“Against Loki, your rightful king.” Frigga’s gaze didn’t waver.

The four friends exchanged glances.

“I don’t know that I’d call it _treason_ –” said Volstagg, with an attempt at joviality.

“I would,” said Frigga, without losing the stern look.

The friends exchanged glances again.

“Ah –well, you see–”

“Mother, they only wished to help me,” said Thor, which earned him a look of his own.

“Are you advocating treason, my son?” Frigga asked icily, and Thor looked startled and wary.

“Of course not,” he said.

“Then perhaps you should still your tongue,” Frigga suggested. After a moment she transferred her gaze back to Sif and the Warriors Three. “Your fate will be decided by Odin, once he has heard an account of what led to this mess,” she said, before glancing at Darcy.

“Darcy?”

“Yes, Grandmother?” Darcy asked, and heard a strangled “ _Grandmother?_ ” from Thor, and noises of surprise from the other four.

“Will you able to deal with the repercussions here?” Frigga asked, her gaze travelling to where Agent Coulson and some other agents were approaching.

Darcy thought _, oh hell no_. Out loud she said, “I think so.”

“Good,” said Frigga. “Call to Heimdall if you need any assistance. I hope to see you again soon.” She finally unlinked her arm from Darcy’s, and turned to the Destroyer. “Return to Asgard at once,” she ordered it, before glancing at the sky as Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three crowded closer. “Heimdall, open the Bifrost!”

Frigg and the others disappeared with the Destroyer just as Agent Coulson reached the small group. Darcy was left standing alone with him.

Agent Coulson looked at her.

“I don’t suppose you can explain what just happened?” he asked, after a moment.

Darcy smiled with all her teeth.

“I can, but this story is going to take a while,” she said. “So why don’t we get something to eat, while we negotiate exactly what I get in return for my knowledge.”


	5. The Fourth Christmas

**The Fourth Christmas**

****

After everything that had happened in the past year, Darcy had chosen to go home for Christmas, and spend the holiday with her Mom, Stephen, and Serafina. The house was more or less the same, as were the inhabitants, although Serafina was both taller and more annoying than Darcy remembered.

“Doooorbell!” Serafina yelled, as the doorbell rang.

“Then get the door!” Darcy shouted back.

“Make me, booger-breath!” Serafina called out, and sprinted outside before Darcy could exact retribution.

Rolling her eyes, Darcy opened the door herself, wondering who could possibly be dropping by unexpectedly on Christmas Day. Hopefully it wasn’t Aunt Veronica, because sometimes she dropped by without warning, and it would be just like her to–

Darcy’s train of thought stopped dead as she saw who was waiting on the doorstep. Looking a little ashamed, and uncertain of his welcome, Loki stood on the stoop, a green scarf the same colour as his suit wrapped around his neck. He was holding several parcels in his arms, all of them brightly wrapped.

“Darcy,” he said uncertainly. “I am sorry for–”

Darcy threw her arms around him in a hug. It was even more awkward than usual, because of all the parcels, but she hugged him as best she could. Loki stood there, holding the parcels, but Darcy felt the way he trembled slightly.

When she finally drew back, Darcy found that Loki’s eyes were as wet as hers.

“I wasn’t sure that you would forgive me,” he said, his voice not quite as even as it usually was.

“You’re my _Dad_ ,” said Darcy. “Of course I forgive you, dummy.”

Loki gave a slight laugh at the friendly insult. His smile was shaky.

“Mooom!” Serafina called from the hallway. “Darcy just hugged some guy!”

“Oh, shut up, midget!” Darcy snapped, turning to face her sister. “Or I’ll make you a target next time I practice with my throwing knives.”

“Moooom!” Serafina wailed, running back towards the kitchen. “Darcy’s _threatening_ me!”

“I’m sure you deserve it,” Darcy’s Mom’s voice drifted down the hallway, and a moment later Darcy’s Mom appeared, walking towards the front door. “Darcy? Who is –”

Darcy stepped aside, to reveal Loki standing on the stoop, looking wide-eyed and faintly alarmed to be looking at Darcy’s Mom.

Darcy’s Mom stopped where she was, looking just as wide-eyed.

“ _Loki?”_ she asked disbelievingly.

“Hello, Lara,” said Loki, pulling on a toothy smile. “It’s been a long time.”

“But –how?” Darcy’s Mom asked, staring. “You haven’t aged a day!”

Loki winced slightly.

“That is a tale which will take some time to tell,” he said. “May I come in?”

“Sure,” said Darcy, before her Mom could answer. “Just don’t trip on the step, and you’re good.”

Loki looked at Darcy’s Mom, though, waiting for permission from her before he took a step inside the house.

“I – well, yes, I suppose,” stammered Darcy’s Mom. “I mean, yes, of course.”

“Thank you,” said Loki with dignity, and walked inside.

“Come on, you can put those down on the coffee table,” said Darcy, taking hold of Loki’s arm and tugging him down the hallway. Loki went along with the motion, a bemused smile on his lips, as Darcy pulled him into the living room and over to the coffee table. Loki duly put down his collection of wrapped presents, and straightened, and Darcy shooed him into the kitchen.

Stephen blinked when Loki walked into the kitchen with Darcy, but otherwise showed no surprise. Presumably Darcy’s Mom had said something about Loki’s apparent age.

“You must be Loki,” said Stephen. “I’m Stephen.” He offered a hand.

“Yes, I’m aware,” said Loki, shaking the offered hand. “We haven’t met, but I used to stop by the house, sometimes, and I’ve seen you before.”

“Go ahead, show them how,” Darcy said with an elbow nudge, grinning.

Loki grinned impishly, and changed into a crow.

“What…?” Darcy’s Mom said faintly, while Stephen stared dumbly at the crow.

The crow changed back into Loki, who said, “I am Loki, Prince of the Realm of Asgard, home of the Norse gods.”

“ _Gods?”_ Darcy’s Mom repeated.

“Oh my God!” Serafina exclaimed from the other doorway. “That was _totes awesome!_ ”

“He is pretty awesome,” Darcy agreed cheerfully. “Serafina, meet my Dad, Loki.”

“Hi,” said Serafina, and blushed when Loki turned to her.

“Serafina,” Loki greeted her, with a mischievous smile. “I haven’t seen you since you were young enough to be called, ah, ‘baby-boo.’”

“Oh God, I’d forgotten about that!” Darcy cackled, remembering Loki’s disdain for the word.

“ _Darcy!_ ” Serafina yelled, turning as red as her hair. “Stop _embarrassing_ me!”

“I didn’t do anything, squirt,” Darcy told her. “That was all him.”

“I hate all of you!” Serafina burst out, and fled from the room.

“Hormones,” Darcy explained, at Loki’s raised eyebrow. “Plus she’s privileged enough to think that being asked to do chores is some terrible injustice. She’s going through an obnoxious phase.”

“I see,” said Loki. “So Thor at his worst, basically.”

Darcy laughed.

“How can you possibly be a god?” Stephen asked. He and Darcy’s Mom still looked kind of stunned.

“If it helps, they’re more like incredibly advanced aliens than actual gods,” Darcy offered.

“That doesn’t help,” said Darcy’s Mom.

“Sorry.”

There was a heavy silence.

“So!” Darcy blurted, unable to hold back anymore. “What happened in Asgard after Heimdall knocked you out?”

Loki made a pained face.

“Many things, mostly unpleasant,” he admitted. “Mother was – she was not pleased, to say the least. With any of us.”

“And your Dad?”

“Was not pleased either,” said Loki. “Although at least he did not see fit to banish me to Earth, as he did Thor. I was –” Loki stopped abruptly, before starting again, on a different tack. “I am sorry for what I did, and for involving you, inadvertent as it was. I am… grateful… that you stepped in, and saved me from making a grave mistake. I was not in a good place, as you would say, and in my condition I could not… could not see any path but the one that I had chosen. Mother and Father have spoken to me at great length since then, about the Jotun, and about Thor, and I understand my situation better now than I did when we last spoke. So thank you, Darcy.”

“I’m glad I was there,” Darcy said honestly. “You were kind of bughouse at the time, you know.”

“I am aware,” said Loki. “I had experienced a terrible shock, and was still influenced by its effects.”

“Hey,” said Darcy, “you know I don’t care, right? I mean, I don’t know _how_ you can be Jotun, but I don’t care. You’re my Dad.”

“I was adopted,” Loki said dryly. “At the end of the last war with Jotunheim, Father found an abandoned infant in a temple, and chose to take me as his own. Of course, it might have helped had I known this from the start, rather than believing myself to be Aesir and of Mother and Father’s own blood.”

“That explains a lot, I guess,” said Darcy. “Were you punished for what you did?”

Loki made a strange face.

“Not as such,” he said. “It was clear to all that I was not fully myself at the time. However, I have been consistently monitored by the healers since then, and as I said, my parents have spoken to me at great length.”

“Well, at least they’re trying,” said Darcy. Loki attempted a smile.

“Indeed,” he said. “It is more than I have come to expect from them.”

“And how are things with Thor?” Darcy asked. Loki shrugged.

“Better than they were before,” he said honestly. “Mother and Father have spoken to him also, and he has been attempting to behave with less arrogance and to control his temper. He and I have discussed our issues, and have resolved some of them.”

“Good,” Darcy said firmly. “I know what it’s like to have an annoying sibling, but still, family is family.”

“Quite,” said Loki. “And on that note, Mother and Father wish to meet you at some point. Mother seemed quite taken with you.”

“Really?” Darcy couldn’t help feeling surprised and pleased. The regal woman had been kind of intimidating, and Darcy hadn’t expected to make that much of an impression.

“Truly,” Loki confirmed. “For one thing, she was impressed that you had won Heimdall’s trust, famous as it is for being difficult to win. Your bravery in facing the Destroyer also made a favourable impression.”

That was kind of hard for Darcy to get her head around. She’d never expected to meet her paternal grandparents, and even after meeting Frigga, Darcy hadn’t thought that they’d want anything to do with her.

“One of the gifts I bear is from Mother, actually,” Loki went on, and pulled something out of his pocket that should have been too big to fit in there, but Darcy forgot that almost immediately as she saw what the object was.

It was an apple, but not just any apple. This apple was a rich gold in colour, and shone as it caught the light.

Darcy immediately recognised it for what it was.

“No _way_ ,” she breathed. “It’s not–”

“One of the apples which ensures the Aesir’s long lifespan,” Loki confirmed, smiling a little. “I’m not entirely sure that Father knows that it is being offered to you, but don’t let that stop you.”

Darcy took the apple with reverent hands.

“You’re telling me,” she said slowly, “that if I eat this, I’ll live as long as everyone on Asgard does?”

“Yes,” said Loki, watching her intently. “Will you eat it?”

Darcy took a deep breath.

“I need to think about it,” she said, because this was something she’d never even considered. “This is a big deal. This is me outliving nearly everyone I know. I can’t just make that decision without thinking about it.”

“How long do people on Asgard live?” Stephen asked, breaking into the conversation. He had a funny look on his face.

“Several thousand years, by Earth’s system of time,” said Loki smoothly. He looked back at Darcy. “I would see my daughter outlive me.”

“Darcy would really live that long?” Darcy’s Mom asked, and Darcy couldn’t interpret the expression on her face.

“Barring accidents or health problems, yes,” Loki replied seriously.

“Okay, this conversation is getting heavy,” Darcy interrupted. “Dad, can we talk about this later?”

“Of course,” said Loki. “I understand that it is a big decision to make, Darcy.”

“Okay, then I’ll just put this with the other stuff you brought,” said Darcy, walking back into the living room, and putting the apple on the coffee table with Loki’s other presents.

As she did, Loki followed her into the room.

“I brought gifts for everyone,” he said, following Darcy’s gaze to the pile of presents. “Given that I intended to trespass on your family’s hospitality, it seemed only polite.”

“Hey,” said Darcy. “You’re always welcome where I am, okay? And if other people aren’t okay with that, then they can take a hike.”

“I thank you,” said Loki, his expression carefully blank. Darcy reached out to pat his arm.

“So what did you bring us, huh? Did you get me an awesome present?” Darcy asked, deliberately lightening the mood. Loki rolled his eyes.

“Still no manners, I see,” he said, although his tone was fond. “Here.” He picked up one of the presents, and handed it to Darcy. “You may see for yourself.”

Darcy unwrapped the present, and found herself holding a pair of sheathed daggers.

“Yes!” she shouted. “More knives! This is great.”

Pulling one of the knives out of its sheath, Darcy tested the weight and balance. It was as close to perfect as any knife she’d ever held, just like the last dagger Loki had given her, all those years ago.

“Awesome,” said Darcy, sheathing the knife again.

Loki had watched her test the weight and balance of the dagger, his eyebrows raised.

“I take it that you have learned the art of throwing knives in my absence,” he said.

“She has,” said Darcy’s Mom, walking into the living room. “She’s quite good at it – and has the trophies to prove it.”

“You entered competitions?” Loki inquired. Darcy shrugged.

“Well, I mean, why not, right? I had the skills, so I figured I might as well give it a go. I didn’t actually expect to win anything, though. That came as a total surprise.”

Loki smiled, a gleam in his eyes.

“Later you must show me your skills,” he said.

“I’ll hold you to that,” said Loki.

Darcy’s Mom still seemed a little uncomfortable, Darcy noted, but she was making an effort to behave as though everything was normal as she smiled at Loki.

“Would you like something to drink?” she asked. “The turkey won’t be ready for some time yet, but you’re welcome to stay for lunch and share it with us.”

Loki looked at her carefully.

“You’re taking this better than I expected,” he said, and his expression was wary.

Darcy’s Mom sighed.

“Darcy’s missed you,” she said honestly. “Looking back, asking you to stay out of her life wasn’t fair. I was young and scared, and I wasn’t sure whether you’d be a good father, but I should have given you the chance to try. For that, I’m sorry.”

“I see,” said Loki. “Apology accepted.”

“I never expected to discover that the Norse gods were real, or that you’re one of them,” Darcy’s Mom added, smiling wryly, “but I can deal with it. So can Stephen.”

“Thank you for trying,” said Loki.

Darcy cleared her throat.

“Hey,” she told Loki, “why don’t we go outside now, so I can test out my new knives and you can see my mad skillz?”

“I’m agreeable,” Loki said, and so Darcy went to put on a jacket and a scarf so that she could go outside.

She and Loki walked out into the back garden, where some of Darcy’s old wooden targets were still hanging from the big tree near the back of the garden.

Darcy unsheathed one of her newest daggers, tested the weight again, and threw it, aiming for one of the targets.

There was a quiet _thunk_ as the knife hit home. The target promptly fell off the tree.

“Impressive,” said Loki, with his eyebrows raised. He was grinning.

“Thanks,” said Darcy. She unsheathed the other dagger, and repeated the process. This time, the target stayed on the tree.

Darcy walked forward to retrieve her new daggers, and Loki followed.

“You know,” said Darcy, “if you’re allowed to visit Earth again, you should drop by now and again. And not just at Christmas,” she added.

“I shall bear that in mind,” said Loki.

He hesitated, for a moment.

“Darcy,” he said quietly, “you must know – you are very dear to me. The fact that I could not visit for all that time does not make that any less true.”

Darcy pulled the knives from the targets, and sheathed them. Then she turned to face her Dad.

“I know,” she said. “I love you too. Now come on, let’s see if you can beat me in a knife throwing contest.”

“You will lose,” said Loki, grinning widely again.

“Bring it,” said Darcy, with a grin of her own, and Loki took one of the knives from her, and began walking back to the other end of the garden.

Darcy followedbehind him, and figured that having him here was the best Christmas present she’d had in a long while.

“Hey Dad?” she said aloud. Loki glanced back at her. “Merry Christmas.”

Loki smiled at her, and Darcy smiled back.

“Merry Christmas,” Loki repeated, and Darcy decided that all was right with the world.


End file.
